


Chains Bound and Broken

by PhenomenalWoman



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Anakin Skywalker Whump, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I will accept no Mace Windu slander in this household, Slave Collars, Slavery, Undercover Missions, Whumptober 2020, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:27:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27217912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhenomenalWoman/pseuds/PhenomenalWoman
Summary: AKA where Anakin goes undercover and learns that being a 9 year-old slave is not the same as being a 22 year-old slave.~"I understand that this isn't the most… ideal situation for you," For his credit, Windu does look sympathetic, "Had Vos not been called on a last-minute assignment, we would have given this mission to him, but-""Who better to go undercover as a slave than a former slave?" The words leave Anakin's mouth slowly, as though he's still processing them himself. He is.The room is silent.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 24
Kudos: 619





	Chains Bound and Broken

Anakin's ears ring as though an explosion caught him by surprise, which happens more often than one might assume. But he's not on the battlefield right now. He isn't holding his lightsaber, surrounded by his men and his padawan. 

He's in the Council room, with everyone's eyes on him. 

"I understand that this isn't the most… ideal situation for you," For his credit, Windu  _ does _ look sympathetic, "Had Vos not been called on a last-minute assignment, we would have given this mission to him, but-"

"Who better to go undercover as a slave than a former slave?" The words leave Anakin's mouth slowly, as though he's still processing them himself.  _ He is. _

The room is silent. 

Master Yoda's ears flick downwards when Anakin meets his eyes. 

"Masters," Obi-Wan cuts in, his sophisticated accent doused in barely contained fury, "I hardly believe this is the right path to take in regards to this mission. This is both unnecessary and, to be quite frank, insensitive. If anyone needs to go undercover, I can." 

Anakin can feel Obi-Wan's side of the bond thrumming with disbelief, and he barely registers the faint prodding of confusion coming from Ahsoka. 

Windu sits up straighter, much more willing to meet Obi-Wan's angry gaze than Anakin's stunned one. "I'm  _ aware _ of how unfortunate this is, but the Separatists are employing the use of slave labor to build their droids, and no one knows mechanics as Skywalker does. And you've only just come back from your undercover job as Hardeen."

It's a backhanded compliment if Anakin has ever heard it.  _ Unfortunate. _ Unfortunately, they're asking Anakin to go undercover as a slave, but  _ hey _ , he's good with building droids!

And the reminder of the Hardeen  _ Incident, _ which Anakin and Obi-Wan have only just put behind them after a fight that ended in tears and tight hugs, makes Anakin's skin feel too tight for his body.

"Unfortunate doesn't begin-"

"If Skywalker is unwilling to accept this assignment, then we will find someone else to go through with it. A  _ Master," _ Windu cuts the beginning of Obi-Wan's tirade off and fixes Anakin with a solemn gaze.

_ Oh. _

A  _ Master _ would be able to do this assignment, and Mace Windu makes it a point to remind Anakin that he is  _ not _ a Master. 

"I can do it," Anakin surprises himself with how strong his voice sounds. He almost manages to convince himself he's telling the truth.

Obi-Wan frowns at him, but Anakin knows he isn't angry, "Anakin, you don't have to-"

"No," Anakin cuts him off and turns to Windu, "I can do it," He folds his hands behind his back, both to look professional and to hide the slight tremor, "When do I leave?" 

Windu's expression doesn't give anything away as he delivers Anakin's death sentence, "Two days," He answers solemnly. 

"Two- two days," Anakin repeats, squeezing his flesh hand with his mech one to feel something other than shock.

"May the Force be with you, young Skywalker," Master Yoda finally speaks up, tapping his stick against his chair once. 

Anakin returns the phrase and takes the dismissal for what it is, turning on numb feet and stumbling out of the Council room.

The ringing in his ears follows him to the training room, where a group of padawans that would usually rush him and ask for help steer clear when they see him stagger through the doors like a common drunk. 

It takes two tries to unclip his lightsaber from his belt, but he relishes the familiar weight of it in his hands. Instantaneously his hands steady, and Anakin quickly loses himself in the katas that Obi-Wan had drilled in him when he was just a padawan.

This is easy. This Anakin can control. Here, there are no surprise undercover missions or thinly veiled accusations of not being good enough in the training salle. Here, he is a master in everything but title. 

"Master?" 

Anakin freezes and glances over his shoulder. "Ahsoka," He relaxes his shoulders and extinguishes his saber, "I was just finishing up,"

Ahsoka frowns and crosses her arms, "I've been calling your name for the past five minutes." 

"What?"

The white markings on her forehead scrunch together as she pulls a face, "And you missed dinner. Obi-Wan is worried, and you know how he gets," 

True to his padawan's word, he can feel a gentle prod from the bond they never severed once Anakin had reached knighthood. How long has Obi-Wan been pulling at the cord between them?

"Yeah, Snips, I do," Anakin exhales through his nose and clips his saber back to his belt. "C'mon, let's not keep the old man waiting."

Ahsoka leads Anakin back to their shared quarters, where Obi-Wan is setting out plates of reheated food at a table set for three. 

The sight makes a burning warmth settle deep in Anakin's gut, one that he wants to take and lock up tight beneath his ribcage so no one can take it from him. They don't eat together nearly as much as they used to. Not like they did when Ahsoka was a fresh-faced padawan with nubby little montrals that barely tickled her shoulders, and Anakin and Obi-Wan were still confident that they could end this war quickly with as few casualties as possible.

"You guys didn't have to wait for me," The words tumble from Anakin's lips, even as he commits the sight of Ahsoka leaping into a chair dodging a swat from Obi-Wan as she reaches for a plate to memory.

"Of course we did, Anak-  _ use a fork, Ahsoka! _ " Obi-Wan bats Ahsoka's hands one more time before finally declaring it a losing battle, "Of course we did, Anakin," He tries again, "You must have been hungry, and it was no trouble," 

Ahsoka nods, "Y'h Mas'er," She agrees through a mouthful of roasted porg. 

It's evident that Obi-Wan has told Ahsoka of her Master's newest assignment. Anakin can see it in the way she tries too hard to make him laugh and in the sadness that shines in her eyes when he can't bring himself to make his laugh sound genuine. 

The rest of his time on Coruscant goes much the same. Ahsoka and Obi-Wan damn near  _ coddle _ him, like Anakin is some youngling that can't ignite his lightsaber. But he can't find it in himself to tell them to stop. 

It may be the last days of comfort Anakin has in a while.

His mission, Obi-Wan had told him that night after dinner, is to input  _ failures _ in the battle droid's programming that the slaves are forced to manufacture. If he's able to, Anakin is to detail any plan the Separatists have that Anakin can overhear. 

"So, I'm just supposed to fuck up the droid's programming so they'll give you secret intel?" Anakin had asked, mind already churning with ideas.

"Essentially," Obi-Wan had agreed with a dry smile. 

That was two nights ago.

Now, Anakin is being escorted onto a nondescript ship by Obi-Wan and-

"Master Vos?" Anakin asks as the Kiffar Jedi steps into view.

"Skywalker," The Kiffar shoots him a wink and gifts Obi-Wan with a firm clap on the shoulder, "Looking good,"

Anakin glances down at the threadbare clothing he had been giving. They're dirty and too tight in the waist and shoulders, but Anakin can recognize that they'll do the trick in convincing people that he's a slave. 

"When did you get back?" Anakin glances at Obi-Wan, who hasn't gotten rid of his sour expression since Anakin first changed into the undercover clothes. 

Vos crosses his arms and shrugs, and Anakin finds himself jealous of how easy-going Vos can look, "Last night. Just got told I'm delivering you to your new home for the next few months," his lips quirk up in a smile that makes Anakin's skin itch.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan's hand reaches out and grabs at his forearm, "You can still change your mind if you don't feel comfortable with this,"

It's a lie, and both of them know it. It's too late for Anakin to turn back now. 

"I'll be fine, Obi-Wan," He reassures for the fifth time since breakfast, "I've done this before, remember? For nine years. A few months will be nothing," Anakin's smile doesn't reach his eyes, and neither does the one Obi-Wan gives him in return. 

"I know you will be. It's  _ them _ I worry about," Obi-Wan replies, "Three whole months with you building droids? I'd be surprised if the factory doesn't surrender itself before the week is out," 

At the reminder of  _ three months _ , Anakin finds it a little harder to breathe. A wet lump clogs his throat and tries its best to choke him up. "See? It's practically a vacation for me," 

They fall into silence, and Anakin takes a moment to look at his former Master. To  _ really _ look at him. Anakin takes in the auburn hair that's starting to gray at the temples, all of them named Anakin Junior after the one who gifted them to Obi-Wan, and the various birthmarks scattered across his cheeks. The only thing that would make this send off a little easier to bear would be if-

"Master!"

Anakin whirls around, "Ahsoka?" 

The Togruta skids to a stop, chest heaving in exertion, "Had to… make sure… said goodbye," She pants out as though Anakin doesn't have her regularly running laps during their training sessions. 

"Did you skip class?" Anakin frowns despite the warmth that creeps up and chases out the lump in his throat. 

Ahsoka scowls up at him, "Are you seriously choosing  _ now _ of all times to care about when I skip class?" 

Anakin grins and rubs between her top montrals in the way that never fails to make Ahsoka whine and swat at his hands. 

From the corner of his eye, Anakin can see how Vos jerks a thumb towards the ship. It's time.

"Just, uhm," He clears his throat, "Take care of the men, Snips," 

Ahsoka frowns, "What about you?"

"Hm?"

Ahsoka turns her big tooka eyes on him, and Anakin curses mentally, "Someone needs to take care of you, too." 

"I'll be fine, Snips," Anakin reassures, and finally extends his arms out for a hug that Ahsoka wastes no time in burrowing into. 

The tips of her montrals tickle at his nose and  _ Maker; she'll _ be taller than him soon enough. Her slender arms threaten to squeeze Anakin's breakfast right out of him, which isn't hard considering Anakin has been fighting to keep it down in the first place. 

"I'll see you soon, Snips, promise," Anakin squeezes her one last time before withdrawing and turning to Obi-Wan. 

It seems  _ real _ now, in a way it hadn't before. Anakin is  _ leaving. _ Anakin is leaving his padawan, and his men, and his Master for three months. He can feel his hands start to shake.

"Obi-Wan, please-"  _ don't let them do this to me.  _ "- take care of Ahsoka."

Obi-Wan nods immediately, "Of course, Anakin, I-"  _ I'm so sorry.  _ "- I will."

Vos claps a hand on Anakin's shoulder, "Ready to go, Skywalker?" He squeezes his hand, most likely in an attempt to comfort Anakin but all it does is make him squirm.

Anakin clears his throat and nods, "Yeah. Yeah, uh, let's go." It feels almost like he's nine years old again, and he's just hugged his mom goodbye, and she whispered in his ear,  _ Don't look back, Ani. _ Except back then, he was  _ leaving _ slavery. Now he's going back into it. 

He trudges up the open ramp, worn cloth shoes like shackles on his feet. He's halfway up when he hears Obi-Wan call his name.

"Anakin!"

He turns around and curses himself as he does. He shouldn't have turned. He shouldn't have looked, he should have just kept his head forward and pretended he didn't hear him.

"How will I know which droids you made?"

Anakin smiles despite himself. He fights the urge to look down at Obi-Wan vambrace. "Trust me, Obi-Wan. You'll know." He walks the rest of the way up the ramp without looking back. 

~

It's three weeks before they find evidence of Anakin's work. After every battle on every planet that the factory is known to supply droids to, the soldiers take to the battlefield and scour the fallen droids for any sign of Anakin's tampering.

"General!" Cody waves Obi-Wan from his own pile of droid parts, "I think we found something!"

Obi-Wan isn't ashamed to say he sprints over. No sign of Anakin has him feeling antsy, and he knows Ahsoka feels much the same. She's been coming with him on his missions as though she were his padawan. 

Cody shifts so Obi-Wan can kneel down.

Obi-Wan feels the breath leave his body. He grins so wide his cheeks hurt, and he realizes he hasn't smiled so genuinely since Anakin left.

A crude carving in the metal stares back at him. A rudimentary sculpture of two semi-circles on top of each other is etched into the droid's chest—the symbol of the Open Circle Fleet. 

"He's okay," Obi-Wan breathes, fingers tracing the etchings, "He's okay,"

~

Anakin is in hell. 

His back aches, and his hands are practically numb from days of programming droids. Anakin didn't even know it was  _ possible _ for a mechanical hand to go numb, but his did. 

His stomach growls something fierce, but he doesn't feel hungry. He's been starved for so long that he's just used to it, and his stomach growling is just a thing that his body sometimes does. He can feel blood trickling down his back and soaking through his mud-caked shirt from when a handler had whipped him for helping some perceived offense. 

He misses Ahsoka and Obi-Wan. 

The first batch of droids had just been sent out, so it'll be any day now before Anakin gets a ping on the com he had installed into his arm. He had input his comm number into the droid's programming, and if Obi-Wan thinks how Anakin hopes he will, he'll understand what the seemingly random numbers mean. 

If Obi-Wan  _ doesn't _ understand what Anakin writes in the code, he doesn't know what he'll do. 

"Ben?" 

Anakin looks down. A little Rodian has his hand wrapped in Anakin's torn pant leg. The fake name still throws him for a loop. When Vos had dropped Anakin off with a harsh shove and an exchange of credits that were probably way more than Anakin was worth, the slavers hadn't asked for his name. Property doesn't have names. But the other slaves asked. Names are important to them.  _ To us, _ Anakin's mind supplies. He's one of them now if he ever stopped being one of them. 

They asked Anakin for his name, and all he could think about was Obi-Wan's stupid alias that he always uses.  _ Ben. _

"Yeah, Konn?" 

Konn is a sweet kid. He had taken Anakin by the hand when he had first arrived, a fresh slave collar locked around his neck, and looked up at him with purple eyes too old for his face and said, "You'll be okay." Ever since that day, Konn had taken to curling up with Anakin when it was time to sleep. 

"You're always warm," Konn had reasoned when he was sufficiently burrowed into Anakin's chest. 

"'M tired." 

Anakin drops the droid part, and it clatters on his subpar workspace, "C'mon, let's get some sleep,"

The slaves are  _ technically _ allowed to sleep between shifts programming doids, but the longer you sleep, the more likely it is to have a very rude awakening with an electrowhip. 

But Konn is tired, so Anakin will take that chance.

Anakin allows himself to be herded into the slave quarters, where only two other slaves are sound asleep. Or as sound as you can be when an electric shock can hit you at any second. Anakin lies down first, like he always does, and accepts his fate as a human pillow for the foreseeable future. Usually, when Kann asks to sleep like this, Anakin doesn't let himself close his eyes. He needs to stay alert. There have been too many times he has to wake up Konn and whoever else is sleeping to escape punishment for "sleeping on the job." 

Konn's breathing evened out just as the comm installed in his wrist beeped.

Anakin froze. He stared at the blinking light for so long he almost missed the call. A second before it would be too late, Anakin scrambled to accept the call, "Hello?" Konn stirs against his chest, so Anakin lowers his voice, although he can't quite get rid of the desperation,  _ "Hello?" _

_ "Skywalker," _ Mace Windu's voice crackles into the air, and Anakin almost sobs. It's not Obi-Wan, but it's  _ someone _ ,  _ "We got your first batch of plans. Good work," _

Anakin fights against the lump in his throat, "Thank-thank you, Master," He whispers, "Did… did Obi-Wan find the right droids okay?" 

Windu hums, on the other end,  _ "Yes, Master Kenobi had no trouble finding your sign. Very clever."  _

Anakin sighs and lets his head drop onto the hard ground. Konn snuffles on his chest and makes a soft noise of protest. 

"How much… How much more time do you think? That I'll be here?" Anakin doesn't think he wants to hear the answer. 

A pause on the other end makes him clench his eyes shut.  _ Fuck. _

_ "The information you got us was good, Skywalker. But it wasn't enough. Not yet. But if you keep getting us information like this, you'll be out of there in no time."  _

It wasn't good enough. It cost Anakin an inch of his life, and it wasn't good enough. One of the handlers caught Anakin eavesdropping, and he was subsequently beat for the next two hours. The electrowhip the handler used shorted Anakin's arm out for the rest of the day.

"Okay," Anakin finally says, "Okay." He takes a deep breath. "The next shipment will be out planetside by the end of the week. Same sign. Skywalker out."

_ "No, Skywalker wa-" _

Anakin ends the call. He curls an arm around Konn and waits until the boy wakes up.

~

Obi-Wan isn't able to talk to Anakin the next time or the time after that. It isn't until he's back on Coruscant that Windu brings Obi-Wan in on a call with Anakin. That's a month and a half since Obi-Wan has heard from Anakin. 

_ "Master Windu," _ Anakin's tinny voice echoes around the empty Council room. He sounds tired.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan breathes. He misses Anakin  _ so much. _

There's a pause on the other end, and all Obi-Wan can hear is Anakin's labored breathing, as if he's been running for a long period of time. Finally-  _ "Obi-Wan?" _

And Anakin sounds  _ awful _ . His voice sounds like he gargled rocks like it's been both misused and used too much. 

"Anakin," Obi-Wan says again, because what else is there to say? "How- how are you?" 

Force, Obi-Wan wishes he could see him. Wishes he could see Anakin's face to actually  _ see  _ that he's okay. 

_ But what if he isn't? _ What if Anakin's been beaten down and stomped on and ruined beyond repair? No. Obi-Wan shakes the thought from his head. That could never be Anakin. Anakin is too strong. 

_ "I'm good, Obi-Wan,"  _ Anakin replies, and it almost sounds like he means it,  _ "You're… you're here. So, I'm good. I'm really good." _

Obi-Wan closes his eyes.  _ Anakin's okay. _

"I'm…  _ kriff," _ Obi-Wan's eyes fly open, "I should get Ahsoka," He says, mostly to himself, but Anakin still hears him.

_ "Snips?" _ He sounds excited,  _ "How's she doing? Is- is she doing okay?"  _

Obi-Wan fumbles with his own comm, punching in the numbers for Ahsoka's with shaky fingers, "She's fine, Anakin. More than fine. She's been doing wonderfully," 

_ "Man, I missed you guys, I-"  _ Anakin cuts off abruptly, and Obi-Wan stops from inputting the last number.

"Anakin?"

A loud clatter comes from Anakin's side of the call. A shout. The whirring of an electrowhip. 

_ "I have to go. I'll- I'll be right back." _

The call cuts out before Obi-Wan can even open his mouth.

~

His arm is busted. 

Anakin's arm is busted, which means his comm is busted, which means he can't talk to Obi-Wan or Ahsoka anymore. Which also means he doesn't know how to get out of here.

_ How'd your arm get busted, Anakin? _ Oh, well, he's glad you asked. 

During his call with Obi-Wan, a handler found Konn with  _ contraband. _ A loaf of fucking bread. He had stolen it from the kitchens, the dumb kid, and was going to pay the price for it. Konn was already on thin ice from a few mess-ups during droid programming. 

By the time Anakin had ended the call with Obi-Wan, Konn's arm was in an iron grip by one of the handlers, and tears were streaming down his face. The loaf of bread was forgotten by both of their feet.

_ "Hey!" _ Anakin felt a rush of adrenaline like he hasn't had in  _ months _ , and he bull-rushed the handler. 

No one said anything. The small gathering of slaves gasped and muffled sobs. One of them managed to pull Konn from the ground and push him towards the back of the pack. 

Anakin was a dead man. He was useful, sure. He put out more droids in a quarter of the time it took everyone else, and he was strong and able to lift things that certain people couldn't. However, everyone had their limits. Anakin thought he had reached his that day. 

But it was fine. Konn would be fine. Anakin could take the heat, but Konn would never make it.

He had watched with a growing sense of dread as the handler lifted himself off the ground and reached into his pocket. 

_ Fuckfuckfuck. _

The buzz of the collar around his neck was Anakin's only warning before pain blinded him. He felt hands wrap around his wrists, and  _ when had he fallen to the floor _ , drag him down a hall. He felt the searing pain of the electrowhip across his back and  _ when had they taken off his shirt _ . 

Anakin didn't know if he had screamed throughout any of that, but he  _ knew _ he screamed when they wrapped the whip around the wrist of his metal hand and let the shockwaves roll through his nervous system. 

Anakin doesn't remember much after that.

~

A hand wraps into his hair, too long and too greasy, and yanks it. "Move your feet," A handler spits into his ear, and it's all Anakin can do to keep his feet underneath him. 

It's been weeks since Anakin was punished, but tremors still rack his body at random times, and his mech hand is practically useless. 

"Wh're we goi'g?" Anakin slurs, stumbling along. His body is near bent in half because the handler still hasn't let go of his hair. 

_ "Quiet," _ The handler's other hand digs into Anakin's back, where barely healed gashes hide beneath his shirt. 

Anakin can feel as they reopen, and blood trickles down and soaks into both his shirt and the waistband of his pants. 

"-Found a clone! Could you believe it?" An exuberant voice echoes through the facility.

_ A clone? _ Anakin feels his breathing pick up. They found a clone, and they called over Anakin? They know. They know that Anakin's been spying, and they're gonna kill him  _ and  _ the clone they found, and it'll be his fault.

"Hey! You got him!" 

The hand in his hair finally lets go, and Anakin can look up. 

His heart freezes. 

_ Vos. _

Vos and Kix!

Anakin's eyes flutter shut. It's over. It must be. They've sent an extraction for him. That's the only reason Vos and his medic would be here.

"Just wanted to see how you treated my first gift," Vos inspects Anakin with a sleazy look that would make his skin crawl had his eyes been open. "If you couldn't treat this one right, how could I trust you with a  _ clone? _ You know that they're genetically enhanced?" Vos whistles, "You can't beat that."

The two handlers, the one that brought Anakin in and the one Vos had been talking to, laugh along with him and take turns inspecting Kix. 

Anakin feels his knees start to wobble. His feet, bare because the cloth shoes he had been given hadn't lasted a month under all the use, ache more than they've ever ached before.

"Now, just one thing before I give you this one," Vos crosses his arms, and Anakin realizes  _ he's wearing sleeves. _ Vos never wears sleeves.

A lightsaber slips into each of Vos' hands between one blink and the next. Both of them are ignited and pressed against a handler's neck. "You're under arrest by order of the Galactic Senate," Vos' voice has taken on a vicious edge, "Now hand over the control for my friend's collar." 

The handlers', for as much as they love to rough up the slaves, have no interest in trying to fight a  _ Jedi. _ The one that brought Anakin hands over the remote with trembling hands and Kix is quick to take it. 

"General," Kix does quick work of disabling the collar, and as soon as it's off, Anakin finds himself slumped into his medic's chest. 

Kix is saying something; Anakin knows. He can hear the words leaving his mouth and feels the rumble in his chest as he speaks, but he's not listening. 

"'M okay," Anakin slurs into Kix's chest, "'M okay, 'm okay," 

~

Anakin is in a bacta tank for two weeks when they bring him home. 

Obi-Wan finds himself sitting in front of the tank more often than not. He can see the stark bruises around Anakin's neck, and if he were to walk towards the back of the tank, the thick gashes that are just beginning to scar all along his back. Anakin is thinner than Obi-Wan has ever seen him. Obi-Wan can practically count each individual rib and vertebrae, and if Anakin didn't have the oxygen mask on, he would see how gaunt Anakin's cheeks have gotten.

The Halls of Healing are more full than they've been since the Battle of Geonosis. Every slave they rescued from the factory was taken to the Temple for recovery, but none of them were as bad as Anakin. They were scared, most definitely. They flinched with every touch of the healers and with every noise, that was just a tad too loud or too sudden. One of the boys, a little Rodian, had wandered through the halls until he found Anakin's room.

The healers had only just discovered he had vanished when they heard the wailing cries of " _ Ben! Ben!" _ and found him plastered to the tank with tears streaming down his face. The only person who could get Konn to let go of the tank was Plo Koon, and Konn seemed to thrive under the Jedi's care and affection.

After the two weeks in the tank, Anakin doesn't wake up. The healers are quick to assure Obi-Wan and Ahsoka that it's nothing life-threatening.

"His body went through a lot," Vokara Che says quietly from Anakin's bedside, "The bacta did its job, but right now his body needs time to fix itself." 

Anakin is too still and too small on the bed. The very first thing Obi-Wan did when he walked in the room was tuck Anakin's arm that ended in a stump under the sheets. Anakin would be furious if he woke up, and everyone had seen his amputation. 

His prosthetic had been too mangled to repair, and Anakin is sure to be heartbroken when he wakes. He spent  _ weeks _ on that arm, shed -literally- blood, sweat, and tears. Anakin will be devastated to learn of his ruin.

"Is he going to be okay, Master?" Ahsoka whispers a week after Anakin has been removed from the bacta tank, from where she's burrowed into Obi-Wan's side.

Obi-Wan squeezes her arm, "He'll pull through, Ahsoka. He always does," but doubt has Obi-Wan's heart in a firm grip. 

He should have done more. Obi-Wan should have fought harder to stop Anakin from going. He's failed his padawan  _ again. _ Perhaps for the last time. 

"You're thinking too loud," Ahsoka grumbles into his sternum and pinches at his side. 

Obi-Wan hisses and swats at her hand despite the surge of gratefulness that rises in his chest. Had it not been for Ahsoka, Obi-Wan imagines he would have been lost to his own mind days ago. 

"My apologies, my dear," Obi-Wan says as he rubs his side. 

They don't speak again until Healer Che kicks the both of them out.

~

"Obi-Wan!" Ahsoka skids into his room two days later. 

Obi-Wan looks up from the book in his lap, "Ahsoka?" He shuts the book with a firm  _ snap _ .

The Togruta heaves and points over her shoulder, "Anakin…. Awake!" She stumbles over and tugs at his hand, "C'mon!" 

He allows himself to be pulled, though it isn't like he puts up much of a fight. Together with the two of them race down the halls, uncaring of the looks they get from whoever they pass. 

Anakin is awake, and Obi-Wan doesn't know what to say to him. Will Anakin be mad? Will he scream and shout and blame Obi-Wan for letting him go on the mission? Obi-Wan would deserve it, no doubt.

They slow down as they reach the doors to the Halls of Healing. Ahsoka fixes the folds of Obi-Wan's robes, and in turn, he wipes sweat off of her temple. Once they both deem the other presentable, they push the doors open. 

Anakin is sitting up in his bed, eyes trained on his hand in his lap.

"Skyguy!" Ahsoka sounds happier than Obi-Wan has heard in months. Force,  _ he _ feels happier than he has in months.

Anakin flinches like he's been shot. 

Ahsoka freezes in place, halfway between Obi-Wan and Anakin. Her smile drops, and Anakin seems to flinch even harder.

"Snips," His voice sounds worse in person. Over comm it sounded like he had graveled rocks, but in person, it sounds like someone took a vibroblade to the inside of his esophagus  _ after _ he gargled rocks, "Hey. I' m-I'm sorry," He shifts in his seat, and his eyes meet Obi-Wan's.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan is horrified to see tears welling up his eyes.

A sob escapes Anakin's throat, and one hand -  _ his only hand - _ extends out to the two of them, "I missed you both _ so much," _

Obi-Wan's feet move before he registers it, and he's only a second behind Ahsoka. Together, the two of them envelop Anakin into the safety of their arms, careful to avoid the bruises that not even the bacta could erase.

Anakin sobs again and wraps his one good hand in the back of Obi-Wan's tunics. He digs his face into the crook of Ahsoka's neck as she wraps her arms around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Anakin whispers into her skin, "I'm so sorry,  _ I'm sorry," _

Obi-Wan shushes him gently, "What are you apologizing for, Anakin?" The hand he ran through Anakin's hair is sticky when he draws it back, as if not all of the bacta was washed from the curls. 

Anakin shakes his head, scrunching his eyes shut so tightly it hurts, "I'm sorry," He repeats, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry,"

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka share a look from above Anakin's head. 

Anakin continues to cry until he falls asleep. It only takes three minutes.

"He's not okay," Ahsoka whispers from where she's still running her hands through his hair. 

Obi-Wan frowns and traces the scar going down Anakin's collarbone with his eyes. "I shouldn't have let him go on this assignment." 

Ahsoka jerks her head up, and it kills Obi-Wan how red-rimmed her eyes are, "No, it isn't your fault. It's the  _ slavers' _ fault. You had nothing to do with what happened to Anakin." 

Obi-Wan looks down. Anakin twitches in his sleep and whimpers. A deep crease forms between Anakin's eyebrows, and Obi-Wan resists the urge to try and smooth it away.

"But, I should have fought harder."

They watch Anakin twitch and whimper until he finally  _ jerks _ awake.

_ "Konn!" _ Anakin sits up, both arms moving to wrap around his chest as if searching for something. Feral eyes dart around the room, and Anakin's chest heaves like he hadn't just woken up. 

"Anakin?"

"Where's Konn?" Anakin tries to push himself to his feet, but Ahsoka keeps him anchored firmly to the bed, "Where is he?"

Obi-Wan flounders for a response, sharing a bewildered look with Ahsoka. "Anakin, who are you talking about?" 

Anakin's hand snaps out and grabs Obi-Wan's wrist in an iron grip. "Konn, he's… he's my- where is he?" 

"Do you mean the little Rodian boy?" Ahsoka eases Anakin's hand off of Obi-Wan and holds it between hers, "Anakin, he was taken to a recovery institution with the rest of the slaves. They're going to try and find his parents,"

Anakin shakes his head, "No, he's… he's supposed to be here, he's not-"

Ahsoka squeezes his hand, "Anakin, he's gone." 

"He's… gone?" Anakin squeezes his eyes shut, "He's… okay?" 

"Yeah, Anakin," Ahsoka nods, "He's okay," 

Anakin doesn't fall back asleep after that. 

~

The following weeks are  _ hard. _

Anakin can now be classified into two different eras: Before Mission and After Mission. Before Mission Anakin was loud, brazen, and unapologetically  _ Anakin. _ After Mission Anakin is quiet with downcast eyes and a tremor in his hands that were never there before. Obi-Wan can see how he tries to hide it, but there are moments when Anakin's body becomes racked with tremors, not unlike the aftermath of his first experience with Force Lightning. 

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka walk him to his physical therapy every morning, which usually sees Anakin drained for the rest of the day. Vokara Che had explained that his fingers had sustained minimal nerve damage from the days spent programming droids. Thin scars lined the tips of Anakin's fingers from electrical burns and other various mishaps that came with dealing with machines. She is, however, confident that Anakin will make a full recovery as long as he keeps up with his physical therapy. 

Before Mission Anakin would have made a big fuss about going to any type of therapy, but After Mission Anakin goes to both his physical therapy and his mind healer with nothing more than a barely-there nod. 

Even Mace Windu has approached Obi-Wan with his concerns.

Logistically, Obi-Wan knows that Mace is not to be blamed. It was a mission that, had it not been Anakin, anyone could have taken.  _ Obi-Wan _ could have taken it. 

_ But it wasn't, _ a very un-Jedi like part of his brain reminds him,  _ it was Anakin, and Windu pushed him to go. _

But it isn't Mace's fault. Mace would have no way of knowing, and who was he to deny it when the  _ Chancellor himself _ requested that Anakin be given this mission? He's even approached Anakin with his apologies, however disastrous it had gone.

Windu had waited until their last Council Meeting had ended, in which Anakin ironed out certain details that couldn't quite communicate over hidden programming. He had stammered and refused to meet anyone's eye, his brand new mech hand in constant movement as it drummed against his thigh.

Windu had waited and made sure to be in Anakin's line of sight when he approached, and Anakin's body still jerked in a violent flinch when Mace had begun speaking. 

It's gotten better since then, Obi-Wan recognizes. 

When it's just the three of them, Anakin takes on a new life, almost his old life, again. He's a little louder, a little freer with his words, and more casual with his touches. They've converted the regular Master-Padawan rooms into a Master-Master-Padawan room. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka will take turns sleeping in the same room as Anakin, occasionally sleeping in the same bed when he starts to toss and turn under his sheets.

(One thing they discovered since Anakin's return is that he sleeps like a rock when he has someone to hold. Ahsoka was the first to discover this when she had tried to wake him up from a nightmare and instead found herself pulled into Anakin's arms and smothered to his chest. 

And Obi-Wan would watch as Ahsoka protested, but he sees the way she melts into the embrace and hides her smile into her Master's chest.)

When it's just the three of them, Anakin is  _ happy _ . But he steps through the safety of their rooms, and he shrinks in on himself. His shoulders hunch like he's trying to maximize less space and escape the public eye. His hands shake just a tad more once he steps past the threshold of their room, and Obi-Wan always hates himself just a little more.

But it's undeniable that Anakin is getting better. He saw his men for the first time since leaving and put up zero fight when he was pulled into the ensuing Clone Pile. He smiled for hours after they left.

"Hey, old man," Anakin's taunt pulls Obi-Wan out of his head, "You comin' or what?" He jerks his thumb - his steady, unshaken thumb - over his shoulder, where Ahsoka has already been pulled into a crushing hug by Dex. 

Obi-Wan sighs and does his best to look dismayed, but he knows his eyes are  _ ridiculously  _ fond. "You shouldn't rush your elders, Anakin," He responds as he slows his pace to a trudge, "We just aren't as spry as we used to be." 

Anakin tosses his head back with a groan, "Obi-Wan, Snips is gonna be done eating by the time we get there!" Yet for all his protesting, Anakin shows no sign of leaving Obi-Wan to grab a booth.

"Well, by all means, then, go ahead," Obi-Wan finally reaches Anakin and is delighted with how he wraps an arm around his shoulders.

"Nah," Anakin replies, ruffling Obi-Wan's hair just how he  _ knows _ Obi-Wan despises, "You can't get rid of me that easy." 

_ And thank the Maker for that. _

**Author's Note:**

> My first whumptober fic!!! Thank you all for reading, I love all of you!! As always, I obsess over your comments and love rereading them! Find me on tumblr at darth-clone!


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